Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-05-14

The maidens will empty their cups on you1
bowed head. All your life, as they are pour.
ing, will pass before you. Each incident Of
it will again come up as fresh and distinct as
it was when you were living in it. Let the
pouring of the water continue until you are
once more in the moment wherein promised
you new life, new love, great fame. Then
bid them stop, and all is done.
knelt, as he babe me, and bowed my head.
Then the pouring of the water began. AS
the old man said, all my life passed before
me. l was once more an infant in my
mothers arms, and so swiftly the whole of
my days came again and went; all clear,
vivid and distinct. My boyish hopes, my
manly endeavors; my love for art, for
Nichette, and, finally, the moment of the
promise required again.
Enough I CRIED and the pouring of the
water from the crystal cups in the hands of
the dancing maidens ceased. l sprang to my
feet. The old man took my hand and
placed it in that of woman who stood be-
side him. She was covered in filmy VEIL
glistening with jewels from head to foot. OF
her face, save her splendid eyes, I could form
no conception, but the surprising grace and
exluisiteness of her figure were not wholly a
matter to be guessed at.
This" said the old man, ''is she with
whom the rest of your life is to be lived.
Her veil you can cast aside presently; but
first there is task before you-the last one
you will ever know"
Leading the way to the entrance of the
temple, he pointed across the valley to the
summit of the mountain above the water
fall, and there, glittering and wonderful was
the veritable Temple Of Fame.
'Take this woman with you," he said,
"and do not unloose her hand Climb with
her to the temple yonder and enter it. There
love and fame will both be yours for the
asking; greater love and greater fame than
any man yet had. But choose Alright or you
lose both, and life with them"
Led by the woman, l crossed the valley,
and together we climbed the mountain, rough,
steep and precipitous as it was. We entered
the door of the Temple of Fame, hand in
hand. The great names of the world were
on its walls, and an angel was waiting to
write my name, highest of all, if l made no
error.
"Whence came you?" asked voice.
'From the Master" answered the woman
at my side.
man." said the voice, "you are favored.
Love and fame, both unparalleled, are yours
ifyou chose rightly. Which seek you first ?"
l looked at my companion and babe her
cast aside her veil
GAS soon as you choose" she answered.
Piqued, l loosened her hand and said,
"Fame first, love afterward"
HE who chooses fame first and love after
ward is fool" said the voice. II cannot
save you from the fiend,"
There was a sullen roar, and the fiend,
surely enough, stood before me in all his
horridness. The woman tried to reach my
hand again. but the fiend flung her aside.
Then he struck me full in the face with one
of his hoofs, and the force of the tremendous
kick sent me out of the temple backward.
But not until the unveiled beauty of the
woman l had lost flashed once before me.
She was lovelier than the widest, maddest
dream of artist or poet.
"Why did you unloose my hand?' she
cried out, in bitterest agony. "But for that
you would have been safe"
TOO latel Down, down the mountain
side went, crashing and rolling, until l fell,
at last, into the waterfall in the valley, and
the waters of oblivion sent me down into
the endless depths of the pit in which they
fell.
Then all was over, and mind and memory,
I thought, were dead. But only for a
moment. The next felt warm kisses on my
lips and heard merry laughter. opened my
eyes and looked up into the face of Nichette,
my wife.
"You bad boy" she said, gayly; "you
went to sleep and have been dreaming; worst
of all, you have been dreaming aloud.
1t is lucky for you that / am not jealous
woman, or all your chattering about leaving
me for prettier women would call down
something dire and dreadful upon you"
AEabas &v,a Haarara Paw